Drain the swamp — right!
I have been spending some time reviewing the candidate filings with the Federal Election Commission. They are disheartening, to say the very least.
To date, Chris Pappas has raked in $13,371,607. According to FEC filings, the average online gift to his campaign is $30. And 97% of his total contributions are $100 or less. On WMUR’s Close Up, Pappas said that he has 120,00 individual contributors. That means that less than $500,00 of his $13 million war chest is from New Hampshire voters. Where does the rest come from? Very deep pockets — corporations or the ultra-rich.
Pappas’s opponent in the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate is Dr. Karishma Manzur. She is a healthcare scientist and peace activist who is doing her best to bring a new vision to the Senate, but the odds are stacked against her. According to the FEC, she has raised $206,903, all from individuals — $0 from PACs or corporations. Her average contribution is $22.
I watched Pappas on Close Up. He said with apparent sincerity that he is going to Washington to end its corruption — to drain the swamp, as it were. And we do know that the swamp needs draining! But how do you do that if you are the beneficiary of a system that throws massive amounts of money your way? If he truly wanted to end corruption in politics, Pappas could level the playing field. He could refuse the money from the deep pockets and rely instead on contributions and support from actual NH voters.
But why settle for $500,000 when you can get $13 million?